Apparatus for simulating kayaking

ABSTRACT

An article for simulating the activity of kayaking is provided comprising a base including a seat portion, a shaft operatively associated with said base and extending upward from said base, a paddle attached on the uppermost portion of said shaft whereby said paddle is constructed and arranged relative to a person seating in said seat portion such that said paddle is in position that simulates the activity of kayaking.

INDEX TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional of and claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/893,705 filed Oct. 21, 2013 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

A wide range of people, from recreational to professional, enjoys kayaking. There currently exist multiple types of kayaks and paddles depending on the users needs. However, often times cold winters or lack of access to water prevents a person from kayaking. There currently exist products on the market that allow a kayaker to simulate kayaking mechanically from their home or gym. The current versions are both large and cumbersome, do not accurately simulate kayaking motions, or are too expensive for the wider kayaking market.

With the growing popularity of kayaking, there exists a need to overcome these deficiencies and provide a kayak simulation exercise machine which is easily portable, affordable, and customizable to the users form of kayaking.

The present invention addresses many recognized prior deficiencies and provides a novel article for use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an article and system having at least one unit for simulating kayaking, said unit comprising an advantageous configuration including:

-   -   1. Foldable and storable design which allows the unit to be         hidden from view in a home setting.     -   2. Provides adjustability of all areas (paddle shaft height,         seat height, seat angle, seat position, foot rest straps, paddle         position, and foot rest position) to suit all heights, arm and         leg lengths.     -   3. Provides an easy to manufacture, repeatable, and lightweight         injection molded design and other methods of manufacture.     -   4. An overall configuration including adjustable parts provides         various resistance settings in the x-y paddle shaft rotation.         Provides various resistance settings (paddle x and y motion and         paddle rotational motion) allowing for an increase in workload         in all dimensions.     -   5. Provides technology for electronically synching with other         existing MyStroke Technology widget.     -   6. Provides the ability to join multiple units together (inline)         to simulate multiple people kayaking.     -   7. Provides quiet mechanisms for low use noise.     -   8. Provides guiding of a correct kayak stroke form while also         determining the exact natural feather of paddle blades.     -   9. Provides a mechanism allowing for forward, reverse and         sidestrokes as well as complex core body motions.     -   10. Provides an OMNI ball assembly that enables the user to         adjust the amount of friction on the vertical handle assembly by         rotating a collar to increase resistance on the ball assembly.     -   11. Provides a Transcatch assembly that enables the user to         adjust the X and Y resistance of the horizontal shaft to         simulate various kayaking scenarios.

In one embodiment, the invention is an article for simulating the activity of kayaking comprising:

a base including a seat portion; a shaft operatively associated with said base and extending upward from said base; a paddle attached on the uppermost portion of said shaft whereby said paddle is constructed and arranged relative to a person seating in said seat portion such that said paddle is in a position that simulates the activity of kayaking.

In one embodiment, the shaft includes an adjustable mounting mechanism for holding said paddle whereby said adjustable mechanism is a user selected adjustment along the length of said shaft.

In one embodiment, the shaft is constructed of a durable lightweight material including, but not limited to aluminum, carbon fiber, or other suitable material.

In one embodiment, the shaft includes at least one indexing grip on at least one side of said shaft.

In one embodiment, the base is formed of a single unitary piece.

In one embodiment, the base is formed of a plurality of pieces secured to form a single base.

In one embodiment, the base includes at least one footboard.

In one embodiment, the base includes at least one footboard adjustable along the upper horizontal surface of said base.

-   -   12. In one embodiment, the paddle includes at least one         mechanism for adjusting tension of said paddle, whereby said         tension is imparted when said paddle is moved.

In one embodiment, the paddle includes at least one mechanism for adjusting tension of said paddle when said paddle is moved in an x-plane, y-plane, or combinations thereof, said plane defined relative to the upper horizontal surface of said base.

In one embodiment, the paddle rotationally moves about a central axis in the region including a center portion of said paddle and a connector of said paddle on said shaft, in x, y, and z planes relative to the upper horizontal surface of said base.

In one embodiment, the shaft includes at least one ball detent clevis pin mechanism or ball lock pin mechanism configured to selectively adjust said paddle mount along the length of said shaft.

In one embodiment, the paddle includes a rotationally adjustable paddle blade on each terminal end of said paddle.

In one embodiment, the shaft is dependent on a rotational swivel ball mounted on or associated with said base.

In one embodiment, the shaft is dependent on a rotational swivel ball mounted on or associated with said base said ball configured with at least one mechanism for imparting adjustable resistance to movement.

Also contemplated is a method for simulating kayaking comprising the steps of:

providing an article according to the invention disclosed herein; seating a user on the seat of said article; grasping said paddle by said user; moving said paddle in a movement to simulate kayaking.

In one embodiment, the resistance applied is imparted my mechanical and/or electrical and/or hydraulic and/or pneumatic means.

In one embodiment, the method is utilized by an individual in need of physical and/or rehabilitative therapy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 2 is a perspective view demonstrating separated components of the base of one body but of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the seat assembly according to one about in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the footrest according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a view of the paddle and shafts assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view demonstrating separated components of the swivel ball (omniball) assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of components of the shaft Transcatch assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view demonstrating the separated components of the paddle trans catch assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the components of the Omni ball tension assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the Omni ball and swivel ball assemblies from FIG. 9 and FIG. 6.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the assembled components of one embodiment according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

System 10 includes a horizontal base assembly 12 having a seat assembly 14 and foot rest assembly 16 positioned at opposing ends of base assembly 12. Paddle blade 18 are affixed to opposing ends of paddle shaft 20 whereby paddle shaft 20 includes paddle angle degree markers 36 proximate to each of paddle blade 18.

Paddle Transcatch assembly 22 is centrally positioned on paddle shaft 20 and is constructed and arranged to selectively adjust the resistance of rotation of paddle shaft 20. Shaft Transcatch assembly 24 is positioned below paddle trans catch assembly 22 and is constructed and arranged to selectively adjust the resistance of side to side movement of paddle trans catch assembly 22. On the ball tension assembly 26 is positioned on base assembly 12 and supports swivel ball assembly 28. Lower paddle shaft height adjustment shaft 30 connects to swivel ball assembly 28. Upper paddle shaft height adjustment pole 32 attached is on its lower end to lower paddle shaft height adjustment shaft 30 and on its upper end to shaft trans catch assembly 24. Foot strap retainer 34 hold foot strap 38 onto footrest assembly 16. Foot strap cam lever 40 is constructed and arranged to adjust foot strap 38. Footrest placement nut 42 is constructed and arranged with a spring that urges top 42 into position along rail 46 and blocks footrest 16 into a fixed position along base assembly 12. Omni ball Lever 44 is constructed and arranged to lock Omni ball tension assembly 26 into a fixed and immovable position. In one embodiment, attachment rod 48 is constructed and arranged for a attaching a second assembly 10 such that persons utilize assembly 10 in tandem, or 4 units in line for K4 simulation.

Wheels 50 on the underside of the base assembly 12 are constructed and arranged for moving assembly 10 as desired. Seat 14 has a rear seat height adjustment knob 52 for adjustably moving the vertical position of seat 14 relative to base assembly 12. Adjustment knob 54 is constructed and arranged to affix seat 14 into a position laterally along the upper surface of base assembly 12 front seat height adjustment knob 56 is constructed and arranged to fix the front portion of seat assembly 14 into a desired height relative to the upper portion of base assembly 12. A person can selectively adjusts any one or combination of the lateral position using adjust 54 the rear seat height using adjust 52 and the front seat height using adjust 56.

Omni ball position slider 58 is constructed and arranged to interact with Omni ball positioning track 60 whereby Omni ball tension assembly 26 is movable along positioning track 60 and positioned based on Omni ball positioning indicia 64. Base 62 is constructed and arranged with the rest positioning rails 46 on opposing longitudinal sides of base 62. In one embodiment, latch member 66 is constructed and arranged to facilitate connection of multiple assemblies 10 one to another. Each rail 46 is held into position along base 62 by a plurality of fasteners 68. Fastener 68 can be screw fasteners rivets or other type of fasteners known in the art including combinations thereof. Bracket 70 supports attaching rod 70 for and includes caps 72 and 76 on rod 74. Seat assembly 14 includes a seat 78 that is supported by the base 80. Foot rest assembly 16 includes foot rest 82 and put rest fasteners 84 that are used for attaching foot rest 42 foot rest assembly 16.

Incorporated with up paddle shaft 32 are a plurality of openings 92 and a spring tension height adjustment tab 94 that is urged outward from the center of shaft 32 such that in 94 protrudes through a selected opening 92 and locks shaft 32 into a fixed position.

Paddle trans catch assembly 22 includes a tension knob 86 that selectively adjusts the rotational movement tension of paddle trans catch assembly 22 and a tension knob 90 that selectively adjusts rotational movement of shaft trans catch assembly 24. Fasteners 88 secure trans catch assembly 22 onto paddle shaft 20.

Omni ball tension assembly 28 includes a pair of opposing hemispheric ball members 98 that are interconnected with ball assembly connecting bolt 96 passing through washer 104 subsequently exiting assembly 28 Omni ball assembly orifice 146 and further fastened into position with exit washer 106 and exit bolt 108. The top of assembly 28 includes retainer ring 100 that hold each hemisphere 98 into position about a neck portion formed in the top of each of said hemisphere portions. Clip 102 is position on top of retainer ring 100.

Shaft trans catch assembly 24 includes a base 110 having an a indicator dial 112 having tension indicia disposed thereon whereby tension knob 90 passes through assembly 24 and is secured into position with washer 114 and connecting nut 116.

Paddle trans catch assembly 22 includes a front plate 118 a rear plate 120 constructed and arranged for receiving tension knob 86 they are through whereby tension knob 86 is connected using connector nut 116.

Omni ball tension assembly 26 includes a top cam 124 having a pair of opposing horizontal slits 126 formed thereon whereby said slits are constructed and arranged to receive retaining pins 130 there in. Top cam 124 rest upon retaining cup cover 128 that further is upon cup 132 end bottom cup 134 that interacts with spring 136 held with in Omni ball base 140. Connection assembly 138 is constructed and arranged to connect the assembly to front seat height adjustment knob 56. Connection assembly 142 is constructed and arranged to interact with foot rest placement adjustment 42. Assembly 26 rests ultimately upon assembly base 144.

Paddle Shaft Horizontal:

In one embodiment a high tech aluminum, Carbon Fiber, or other material, paddle horizontal shaft (20) is used to cut down on weight and increase strength over existing designs and more accurately simulate a true kayak paddle. There will be an indexing grip incorporated on one side of the horizontal shaft (36). This assembly includes a trans catch assembly that enables the user to increase the resistance or reduce the resistance of the horizontal shaft to simulate various kayaking scenarios. This is achieved by the adjustment knobs located on this assembly. (22)

Base:

In one embodiment a low-pressure injection or other materials such as wood or molded base is used as a platform for mounting all other components to (12). The platform has rails on both sides (46) that serve as adjustment points for the seat (14) and footrest (16). The base will also be offered in an extendable 3-piece construction, the 3^(rd) piece being an insert to cater to taller users.

Adjustable Foot Rest & Straps:

In one embodiment an injection-molded footrest (16) is used to provide a simulation of the footrest currently used in a real kayak. The footrest is textured to avoid slipping of the foot. The footrest is adjustable on the Base rails to accommodate different leg lengths (42). The footrest utilizes an adjustable and soft feel straps (38) to secure the feet in position (40).

Paddle Y-axis Resistance Setting:

In one embodiment a cam-locking system (24) is used to provide variable resistance to the y-axis movement of the paddle shaft. A section of pliable high molecular weight polyethylene (114) is used as a buffer that is squeezed onto the paddle providing greater resistance at set increments. (112) A resistance knob (90) is tightened by the user.

Paddle X-Axis Resistance Setting

In one embodiment a cam-locking system is used to provide variable resistance to the x-axis movement of the paddle shaft (122).

Paddle Catch

Omission of the invention of the double wedging catch as the v wedge male of the center of the horizontal shaft comes in to the v wedge female molding at the top of the vertical shaft. The action of the v wedge male entering the v wedge female and imparts resistance on the paddle and is configured to simulate the paddle blade resistance on entry into the water. AS understood, there are a pair of opposing v wedge female structures each configured to receive a single v wedge mail structure on each side of the rotation axis. (110)

Adjustable Height Vertical Shaft:

In one embodiment a system of adjustment is used to provide an adjustable high tech aluminum, carbon fiber, or other material, vertical shaft height dependent on the users torso length. One piece is attached to the Omniball (30) and has a spring button (94) while the other (32) has drilled holes (92) for the height adjustment. For hospital therapy and institutional use stainless steel made be used.

Adjustable Mini Paddle Blade:

In one embodiment an adjustable mini paddle blade (18) is used to simulate different pitches-control of paddles. Users are able to rotate the paddle blade to pre-set angle markings for more accurate simulation (36). This allows the user to deduce their own (Exact Feather). Feather defined as angle of blade control.

Rotation Ball (Omni Ball) and Adjustable Resistance and Adjustable Position:

In one embodiment a hand rotated locking system is used to provide variable resistance to the ball movement (28) in various tension settings (26). As the tension settings are increased (126) the top ball housing (128) squeezes down on the ball creating increased friction equal to the cube of the ball radius. The entire ball mechanism is adjustable depending on the users arm length and leg inside seam and torso length. Tension mechanics may be electrical, mechanical, hydraulic or some other means.

Adjustable Seat Length, Height and Angle Adjustable:

In one embodiment an adjustable, contoured seat is used (78). The seat has an adjustable front and back along the Base rails (54). The seat is also adjustable at an angle allowing the user to tilt the seat back up and down (52) to suit the users needs and forward and backwards away from the (Omni Ball) (56).

Foldable Configuration:

In one embodiment the horizontal shaft and vertical shaft are foldable (58) and removable (44) allowing the user to collapse the unit. Wheels attached to the base allow the user to easily roll the unit to a storage space.

Attachment Points for Multiple Unit Use:

In one embodiment a set of tongue and groove notches are molded into the front (56) and back (48) of the base allowing multiple units to be connected tandem in a linear fashion, simulating a multiple person kayak.

MyStroke Technology:

In one embodiment users are able to attach current existing MyStroke products to the paddle shaft to gain the advantages of digital performance gauging.

In one embodiment an attachment point for a smartphone/tablet computer is added to the footrest to provide a heads-up display of exercise data.

In yet another embodiment a built-in touchscreen LCD is added to the top of the footrest, integrating MyStroke technology directly into the unit.

Medical/Rehabilitation Use:

In one embodiment the system is used for medical rehabilitation of persons who have as example experienced a stroke or other injury associated motor-function disabilities. In this embodiment the unit has an additional stand to raise it off the floor and straps to keep the user secure. Additional high grade/easily cleaned materials are used as a substitute for many plastic parts. The seat/footrest format will change to accommodate the various medical/rehabilitation needs.

While the invention has been described in its preferred form or embodiment with some degree of particularity, it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction, fabrication, and use, including the combination and arrangement of parts, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. An article for simulating the activity of kayaking comprising: a base including a seat portion; a shaft operatively associated with said base and extending upward from said base; a paddle attached on the uppermost portion of said shaft whereby said paddle is constructed and arranged relative to a person seating in said seat portion such that said paddle is in a position that simulates the activity of kayaking.
 2. The article of claim 1 whereby said shaft includes an adjustable mounting mechanism for holding said paddle whereby said adjustable mechanism is a user selected adjustment along the length of said shaft.
 3. The article of claim 1 whereby said shaft is constructed of a durable lightweight material.
 4. The article of claim 1 whereby said shaft is constructed of aluminum, carbon fiber, or other suitable material.
 5. The article of claim 1 whereby said shaft includes at least one indexing grip on at least one side of said shaft.
 6. The article of claim 1 whereby said base is formed of a single unitary piece.
 7. The article of claim 1 whereby said base is formed of a plurality of pieces secured to form a single base.
 8. The article of claim 1 whereby said base includes at least one footboard.
 9. The article of claim 1 whereby said base includes at least one footboard adjustable along the upper horizontal surface of said base.
 13. The article of claim 1 whereby said paddle includes at least one mechanism for adjusting tension of said paddle, whereby said tension is imparted when said paddle is moved.
 14. The article of claim 1 whereby said paddle includes at least one mechanism for adjusting tension of said paddle when said paddle is moved in an x-plane, y-plane, or combinations thereof, said plane defined relative to the upper horizontal surface of said base.
 12. The article of claim 1 whereby said paddle rotationally moves about a central axis in the region including a center portion of said paddle and a connector of said paddle on said shaft, in x, y, and z planes relative to the upper horizontal surface of said base.
 13. The article of claim 1 whereby said shaft includes at least one ball detent clevis pin mechanism or ball lock pin mechanism configured to selectively adjust said paddle mount along the length of said shaft.
 14. The article of claim 1 whereby said paddle includes a rotationally adjustable paddle blade on each terminal end of said paddle.
 15. The article of claim 1 whereby said shaft is dependent on a rotational swivel ball mounted on or associated with said base.
 16. The article of claim 1 whereby said shaft is dependent on a rotational swivel ball mounted on or associated with said base said ball configured with at least one mechanism for imparting adjustable resistance to movement.
 17. A method for simulating kayaking comprising the steps of: providing an article according to claims 1; seating a user on the seat of said article; grasping said paddle by said user; moving said paddle in a movement to simulate kayaking.
 18. The method of claim 18 whereby any resistance applied is imparted my mechanical and/or electrical and/or hydraulic and/or pneumatic means.
 19. The method of claim 18 whereby said method is utilized by an individual in need of physical and/or rehabilitative therapy. 